Uppsala Universitet (UU)

Eramus experience has been the best during my university life. I have learned a lot, I encourage all the students to carry out this experience. I ask to European Union and my goverment to equip Erasmus grants with appropriate economic budgets to make possible not only for medium rich people the possibility to go in another countries. Meanwhile the European mobility since people are very young through Europe we won't have a real Europe. The first step to garantee the future of the Union is to make affordable for everyone the mobility around Europe. In my opinion two points would have to be compulsory for the university students: 1)to go out of their own country at least for one year. 2) to learn the language of host country besides english of course.

No surprises, I was prepared for everything, I m very grateful to my family, without them I had never been there. I spent the Erasmus grant during the first 20 days. It is almost impossible for southern european to go to the North, meanwhile it is just the opposite for Northerns, they save money in the South thank to EU and Government helps. EU would have to weigh this fact and help "poors" to balance european students.In 1999 we were 10,000 students at Carlos III University. Just 35 positions were offered in Business Administration, JUST 180 people applied them (180/10000) 1,8% WHY? because just 180 were sure they had their family to support them and having the english level and required grades. Being there I spent every month 4 times the spanish interprofessional minimum wage-.......

I wanted to learn Swedish. BUT people speak english perfectly and if you tried to speak swedish they lose patience very fast. After if you spoke Swedish people started to see you not as a respectful EU citizen but as a dangerous possible emigrant. They dont appreciate very much the fact you want to learn their language. They see that as a threat, "another foreigner to support within our welfare state" they don t realize you can be very profitable for their economy and society. Unfortunately If you despise swedish as an useless language (only spoken by 9 milion people) they respect you more, In my opinon swedish society is fed up of receiving emigrants from the most distant countries as Iran, chile, Bosnia. Swedish are good people and very open and inocent, they always believe whatever you tell them, they never lie, I like very much this facet of Sweish. Just because this culture and behaviour Swedish had deceived by emigrants and in one way I understand why they look suspiciously to foreingers, they are good but not stupid. Now I m learning swedish for my own, because in spite of everything I like Sweden, Swedish and Swedish language. I regret not to have taken advantage of my situation when I was there. BUT IT WAS TERRIBLY DIFFICULT, and by the way at this time I was not very proficient not even in English so taking 2 languages at the same time was crazy. Anyway it is a shame for the swedish language but my overall communication was OK. Though I would have liked to speak in Swedish with some people I met I could not. But I m sure I WILL

I booked it through Uppsala University half year before arriving with a certificated letter. When I arrived I had no room. I had to go to live in Flogsta for 1 month with one friend waiting for one room. Thay did not allow us to use the main entrance because it was not convinient for the image of the Basic Hotel though it was not written in the contract and we were paying either way 2500 SKR every month. It was another place to accommodate called Flogsta, Swedish students used to call it as "The Ghetto". 2000 people gather together, most of them foreigners. Price 1800SKR

The best place I ve ever been in my life, and take into account that I m from Spain was STOCKHOLM NATION, just to be a member of this Nation it is worth to stay in Uppsala for one year. I miss it every weekend since then. Prices were very "social" 45Kr to get in, if you arrive before 20h you don t pay, beers 27Kr, It was very cheap for Sweden. The best is the Spring Party, everybody speaks about this party very well. Unfortunately I had to go back to Spain. Uppsala is very beautiful the forest seems taking from fairy tale. The castle, the river, the threes everything was so different from Madrid that really shocked me. There is another caffe interesting TOBAK. Unfortunately basicly there is one supermarket chain ICA, they are monopolist they do whatever they want with prices. Another great places are "Warlmands", "Norrlands" maybe too big, "Snerikes". All arranged by University. If you wanna know more write me an e-mail, I m very willing to give details about life in Uppsala.